Discovery Channel co-production looks at the big picture

The Discovery Channel is exploring Earth, from the big bang to modern day, with a CGI production commissioned by the channel and co-produced with Handel Productions in Montreal and Pioneer Productions of the UK.

The two-hour special, Earth: The Making of a Planet, premieres March 6 at 8 p.m. and will be promoted through on-air and online promos.

Sponsorships of the broadcast and website are still available.

The special production looks at how the planet was formed and how it changed over millennia through continental shifts, ice ages and meteors. It also follows the progression of life on Earth, from algae to dinosaurs to humans.

Each frame in the special is comprised of up to 20 layers of animation, and it took more than 50 specialized computers to render the final product. Visual effects were handled by Montreal’s Lumiere VFX.

Another premiere has also been scheduled on the Discovery Channel for the same month. Prehistoric Assassins, a two-part special that looks at some of the most brutal animals to walk to the Earth, airs March 20 at 8 p.m.